Right from wrong? Entry questions

[Aaron Gieg]

Hello, I am new to the bigger pockets forums after being turned onto it from the podcasts.

I am currently about to start schooling to obtain my RE license and would like to get familiar with all the avenues of real estate and investing. I understand that it takes a lot to get your feet wet and I feel as if I am retaining so much information and learning so much on a daily basis between the multiple podcasts, chapters in books and other sources that some important stuff may be left behind and useless info brought with. 

My Biggest questions I guess would be how do you decipher all the key points? And I have started on episode 1 and have listened to over 30 of the podcasts now in order and I'm wondering if thats the best way to go about it? Or could some be  outdated or an "older" way of doing stuff? 

As cliché as it is and sounds I would like to do a few Wholesales while Im getting my license so any sort of information or lesions learned along the way would be super helpful. 

I plan on doing a house hack as a first time buyer as well. Is it better to play it safe and just get a duplex and have one side occupied to learn the landlord process or spend the money and go for the four-plex? 

Thanks in advance for any help! I appreciate you taking the time out of your day. 
Aaron Gieg 

[Aaron W.]

@Aaron Gieg Welcome to the community! It's exciting to hear you are ready to jump into real estate.

You are doing the right thing to get yourself education and establishing a foundation of knowledge. 

In deciding on what the invest in, that will really depend on your why in investing in real estate. What goals do you need to accomplish your why? Are you interested in cash flow or appreciation? Do you want cash flow now? What is your appetite for rehab? 

Having these questions answered before you start will give you a direction to move in. Then, when you start considering whether you should wholesale or buy a duplex or quad, you can ask yourself if it advances you toward your goals.

Start practicing analyzing deals now, even if you don't plan to buy right now. This is an invaluable skill every investor needs to have. This will help you avoid blindly accepting the numbers painted by a seller or wholesaler, you will have the skillset to analyze the deal yourself to know if it is worth your time. Trust but verify.

Through deal analysis, you will be able to establish your own buying criteria and recognize the bad, good, and great deals.

Education is a lifelong pursuit. No matter if you've done 1 or 1,000 deals, there is always something to learn. Some of the best education happens when you actually do. Don't recklessly jump in, but do the above and have a criteria, and you will go in educated.

Good luck!